Monday, March 24, 2008

For those single-lidders who find that constantly buying tape is a hassle or feel that the tape they buy doesn't fit their eyes well, this is an option for you. Cut your own! It is very inexpensive to buy a roll of 3M clear athletic tape in comparison to constantly buying pre-cut tapes. Also, you can find it at any Walmart or Target near the bandage section which is a nice alternative to going to an Asian beauty store if you don't have one nearby. Since one roll only costs around $3 USD, it is much more cost-effective to cut your own, plus you can adjust it to whatever shape you want. I found that a lot of pre-cut tapes aren't as wide or long as I want them to be, so it's nice to make it just right myself.

Tools needed:
*Nexcare Flexible Clear Tape, 3/4"
*Sharp Scissors

First, cut the length that you would like your eyelid tape to be. I prefer mine to be a little longer (for when I am just at home or if I choose to wear it at night when I sleep) but it's up to your own preference.

Next, cut the tape in half lengthwise. You should have two long rectangular strips. Carefully place one strip where it won't get stuck to anything.

Take your scissors and round off the corners of the tape. You want to end up with a smooth, long oval. Do this for both tapes.

Cut the oval in half again, lengthwise.

Finally, round off the sharp corners once more. If you do this for all tapes (including the half you set aside in the beginning), you should end up with 4 eyelid tapes in the end.

If the tape is too wide, you can always make it skinnier or shorter on the sides. Practice makes perfect, so I would suggest making a few in different shapes and sizes to see what looks best on you. Just remember that you can always make it smaller but you can't make a cut tape bigger, so start out wider and longer in case you want to cut it down. Another thing that helps is to study the shape of pre-cut tapes and try to mimic it. After a few tries, it'll get much easier to cut it just the way you need. Hopefully this will save you in emergencies when you run out of tape and can't make it to the beauty store, or if you get frustrated with what's available. Good luck!

Hi.. I was wondering how safe is it to use tape on your eyelids. What are the long term effects? I've been told not to use the tape or glue because it makes your eyelids droopy in the long run and also makes the creases become uneven over time. Not to mention, if you decide to have eyelid surgery, I hear it's difficult for the doctor to perform surgery on it because our eyelids become damaged internally. Also, isn't the skin around our eyes very delicate? Wouldn't repeated use of tape cause wrinkling of our skin? I noticed you were using the first-aid tape.. do you know what chemicals make up the sticky part of the tape? because using the tape constantly may cause harmful chemicals to diffuse through our skin which is porous. I'm really hesitant about using the tape because I don't want to have smaller eyes in the long run without the guarantee of permanent double eyelids from tape (or glue).

If you have any information about long term use of tape I would really like to know. I've been searching online, but haven't found any legit answers. Maybe you have been using it for some years now and can give me some feedback.. because I really want to use it, but I'm just thinking of the consequences. -_- Thanks...

anonymous 3: Tape and glue will only make your eyelids droopy if you aren't properly removing it. If you just rip off the tape, it will stretch the skin and cause droopiness over a long period of time (years). I promise you, doctors who do double lid surgery probably have a majority of patients that wore tape or glue. It's nothing they couldn't fix.

It's silly to think that you can get "damaged internally" when the tape and glue only affects the outside part of your skin. The first aid tape was made to be put on your skin. People usually use it to dress wounds. Of course there aren't harsh chemicals in it! I don't think there's any health issue whatsoever that you need to worry about.

I'm sorry nobody can guarantee you your lids will be permanent. It all depends on the thickness of your natural eyelid. Some do wear it for years and it never turns permanent, but for my mom, aunts, and cousins, they all turned to double lids after about a year of use. I've only used it on a regular basis since January, but I've had no problems with droopiness or any health problems with my eyes since then.

As for wrinkling, creating a double lid is pretty much forcing a wrinkle to form where you want it to. You always try to put the glue or tape so that it makes the exact same crease every time for it to work. If done correctly, it shouldn't cause any other random wrinkles to form.

I can't give you any statistics about double eyelid tape, but I will say that based on the hundreds of thousands of women who have used it before, you don't have anything to worry about.

I have a question about the tape? Do you wear it all day under makeup or do you wear it and take it off prior to makeup application? I'm korean too and have one creased eye and one uncreased so I'd love to balance out my eyes, but know nothing of how to tape or glue eyelids.

hiyaI came across to your post in the soompi forums...I have a question! When i was 1-7 years old, I had double eyelids (my parents both have natural double eyelids)... then when I was in elemantary to high school my eyes had single lids.. or at least i had a small crease on the end...

Now when i turned 18, my eyelids became double! it's weird! it's annoying when at some days one would be double and the other single... one of my friends told me that it's either genetics or aging.. is it because i get more sleep? i was wondering if you know what's up with my strange eyelid situation...

Your eyelid problem is probably because the amount of fat in your eyelid changed as you grew through puberty. Sometimes we can gain and lose weight quickly in different parts of our bodies during times of rapid growth, so I'd bet that once you hit your more "mature" stage, your eyelids naturally thinned out giving you back your original double eyelids again.

Even I developed doubles naturally once in a while before I used tape and glue if I was very tired. That kind is usually temporary though. Hope that answered your question!

alot of people have been saying that they got double eyelids after putting them on while sleeping... how is that possible? because i mean otherwise, it'd just be some tape on your skin without any force trying to create a crease... I tried wearing the tape on while I slept, but whenever I woke up... I ended up with tape on my hair/hands/behind my ears/anywhere on my face... so does it really work when you sleep? and is there any way to keep it from ending up somewhere else? thx

Thanks for this tutorial! I've been using pre-cut tapes but they do get expensive to buy after a while. I did not know that hospital tapes like these exist, and they are indeed a much cheaper alternative!

your tutorial was really awesome. i bought the roll of tape and made some double eyelid tape and it worked well!

i have a few questions though. i heard that some people use eyelash glue on their eyelids as double eyelid glue. have you heard of this? do you know whether it's safe or not?

also, if you use eyelid glue, will it stretch your eyelids even more than tape because it glues your eyelid together and when you blink, your eyelids will be pulled?

and my last question is on my type of eyelids. you may not have my type of eyelids, so i don't know whether you can help me or not on this one, but you seem pretty knowledgeable on this topic :)i have a small cease near my lash line, so my eyelids kind of fold under (you can't see my lash line and when i put on a thin line of eyeliner, you can't see it. the eyeliner will have to be around 1/3 of a cm thick in order for it to show if i stare straight ahead). i also have another small, very small, cease that shows when i open my eyes. so i was just wondering how i can make my double eyelids higher up and away from my lash line. how can i make my double eyelids normal? i want my lash line to show!!!! T_T

i have slightly creased eyelids therefore whenever i apply the tape i end up with 2 creases and it looks really wierd.. the only way to get rid of it is if i squint or smile really hard so that the top crease goes away..does that happen to you sometimes?and how do you remove the tape? i've tried removing it with warm water but the tape just won't budge !!!

Anonymous: The tape is only single-sided. If you have a double wrinkle forming, try placing the top of the tape right at your natural wrinkle/crease. Or, you could try placing the bottom of the tape right at your lash line.

Hi! I started out by trying both glue and eyelid-tape that I cut myself. I found the tape to work the best, although I hesitate to use it since you can really see the tape on the lid (even with proper makeup applied!) So today I went to a wig store and bought CLEAR DOUBLE SIDED SURGICAL TAPE. I went home and cut it the way I would usually do with my regular eyelid tape (perhaps a bit thinner), placed it about where I usually do or maybe a little lower, then used a tiny stick to gently "poke" it into place. For me this really works, and since the tape is double sided YOU CANNOT SEE IT. It took me a few times to get the crease right, but practice makes perfect. This is the kind of tape I bought (the one on top): http://www.hairtape.net/discount.htmlIt pretty much works the same way as the glue but is way less messy. I'm going to continue experimenting but this seems to work wonderfully so far.

Omg, thank you so so so much for this blog post! I've searched EVERYWHERE but I never got satisfying results. Most people prefer using eye glue, but from my experience, you can't apply heavy makeup afterwards because it dries the glue.

Once again. Thank you so much! I'm going to try these tricks right away!

OMG!!! Thank you sooo much for this tutorial!1~ Because of this tutorial, i was able to make tape for myself when I still didn't have any pre- cut ones, and last June 5th was my 9th monthsary in using tapes! Even though now I've bought some pre cut tapes, for some reason i still like the ones I cut myself because aside from being economical, I can make the shape that suits my eyelids the best!!! Thanks again!!! And sorry if I only commented now, I've actually been following your blog since last August. Nice blog by the way!!! Since I'm nearing prom, I really pass by your blog more often for make up ideas!~ Since I'm a tape wearer too, your make up tips apply to me in the best ways! hahah

I dunno whether i'd get the folds, but at least I can get the folds while wearing them m(^ w^)m

Are you trying to imply to other Asian girls who are born with "mono-lids" to be ashamed of themselves because, from what I'm getting from this video of yours, by putting on "eye lid tape" makes you look more attractive?

This question may seem a bit harsh but it just seems to me that tutorials like this are trying to mold the traditional Asian girl into what society thinks is beautiful while putting aside the true beauty of being a "mono-lid".

I think I'll try this. Thanks for the tutorial! I am Asian/White, & while I have a crease on both eyes, it is very close to my lash line, & my eyes are mostly flat-set, tucking under the droopy lid. I have a similar issue to one I read here, where my eye liner doesn't show unless it is put on very, very thick, & then it gets oily from being tucked under the lid & runs. I recently got permanent eye liner, but I still hate looking tired from the droopy eyelids. To Jing, I understand your question, & I don't think she's implying that anyone should be ashamed of themselves. I think she's trying to help people who like her, didn't like the way their eyelids were shaped - for various reasons. Mine is because my makeup doesn't stay on & I look tired. I've seen that a lot of Asian women are interested in changing the shape or appearance of their eyelids, but I think there are various reasons - each personal to the individual. I think tutorials like this are really helpful, as I've struggled with an "issue" with my eyelids ever since I started learning to put on makeup. If women are secure with who they are, I think it's great for them to find a tool that will help them be happier with their appearance. Their reasons for wanting to look different - well, that is their own business.

Super cool! Thanks so much! I ordered some Koji TUCK IN tape to try out, then I am going to use your method for creating my own! So kind of you to share this with us! LOVE BEAUTY AND HAIR tips! You Rock!

I am Hispanic but I have sort of Asian eyes, and I never knew about the eyelid tape and the whole spectrum of products related to it. I used it for the first time and my eyes look amazing, however I tend to note that the tape is visible. Can you recomend the best brand or kind? less visible? thinner etc? thanks

I am Hispanic but I have sort of Asian eyes, and I never knew about the eyelid tape and the whole spectrum of products related to it. I used it for the first time and my eyes look amazing, however I tend to note that the tape is visible. Can you recomend the best brand or kind? less visible? thinner etc? thanks